AIBU to suggest that schools cannot win?

[Piglet208]

It seems that whatever schools do it will upset a large group of (very vocal) parents. If they host productions during the day they are criticised by working parents. They host in the evening and they are criticised by parents with tired children. They organise trips which annoy parents due to the cost or they don't organise trips and are thought not to care or be lazy. They give out too little or too much homework...never just the right amount. They push the children too hard or they don't do enough. Has it always been like this or are parents more invested in school life now? I don't remember my parents having such strong opinions. I also don't think society judges and scrutinises other professions in quite the same way. AIBU?

'There is little a classroom teacher can do'

There is.

But the problem is that it's seen as lack of consistency when in fact it's catering for individual needs.

Someone said on another thread their school is trying to punish their sons disability out of him. It's true, and it's counter productive and can be harmful in the extreme.

People aren't going to make posts to say "I'm generally happy with my child's school, the teacher seems nice and everything's going OK" so we're naturally going to only get posts here from parents that are unhappy.

Personally I like an evidence based system for education. There is no evidence for the efficacy of homework so I'm against it. On the other hand I understand that some teachers are bound by school policy and under pressure. My DS is exhausted after school so we sometimes do 10 minutes of reading and sometimes not. His teacher thinks this is the right approach.

I don't understand how homework can be a bad thing. Surely, in class, you learn a concept and do a bit of practice, then practise more as a homework exercise. Lessons are really quite short. I don't know how kids can learn and retain maths concepts, for example, without doing it again at home.
Out of interest, what subject do you teach elan?

WinterWander It's a bad thing because it takes up the little spare time kids have in the week to rest and pursue their own interests and organise their own time. A primary school age child might get back home at 4 or 5 then go to bed around 8. Once they've had dinner, got a bath etc. There's only an hour or two left to do their own thing (read books, do a hobby, play with their siblings, build lego etc.). It's important that kids have time to do with as they please, even get bored once in a while.

There's also no evidence that it actually improves outcomes so why bother?

English.

It isn't a bad thing per se. It's a pointless thing. I don't think it has any negative effects but nor do I think there is any bring positive that comes from it.

I think you are right, there will be those who are dissatisfied no matter what schools do. I work in the NHS and it is similar there - some folks are unable to appreciate how lucky we are to have free access to education, healthcare etc and just moan constantly. They need to learn how incredibly fortunate we are in the UK. Any system funded from taxation will not be perfect ( not sure it ever could be????) - I am just baffled about why a proportion of people can't just accept that!

I find it odd that homework apparently doesn't improve outcomes. As I said, surely practice makes you better.
My DC are at a primary school that issues 1 hour of homework a week with 5 days to complete it. I can see homework each night being a drag.
Can't remember much about English homework at secondary but I would have though you'd give out reading as a task so you could discuss/analyse in class elan.

It's unlikely you'd get the books back, if you sent them home.

Then that relies on them actually reading it and you will get some who don't and then are clueless in the lesson. I definitely encourage reading the set texts but don't set it as a formal homework.

It's unlikely you'd get the books back, if you sent them home. That's terrible.
I agree with Dairy "some folks are unable to appreciate how lucky we are to have free access to education..."

MsGamesandWatch I totally agree with you, as a parent of a child with sn I believed the school staff, I allowed them to do their job, I didn't comment when punishment seemed a bit harsh, I, at the time believed what I was told by the school over what my child was telling me, I have never been so wrong in my whole life, for his entire ks1 & ks2 experience was one of discrimination, victimisation and humiliation. When it all began I knew nothing about computers, I knew nothing about the SEND CoP, Statements, parent partnership, the NAS, etc etc, no one from the schools saw fit to give me any information of where to go for help and advice and yet they knew that I was no good with computers because my job has no requirement to use computers.

It is DD who is teaching me how to use computers, slowly and surely I'm becoming more used to them, but I wish I had this information long before now.

I would have though you'd give out reading as a task so you could discuss/analyse in class...

God, I'd love to be able to do this. Unfortunately it would leave half the class unable to participate in the lesson because they didn't do the reading, didn't bring the book back, googled the plot, brought a note about Christmas markets...

It is classroom suicide to allow your lesson to rest on homework having been done, on time, by every student. That's why so much homework appears 'pointless' to parents - teachers can't rely on it being done so they set it so that their lessons can continue even if it wasn't done!